No Bull Business Blog

6 communication work skills to live by

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Communication Skills for Managers

Practice these six communication skills in your work each day and, you’ll be much more effective.

1. Listen more than you talk: Possibly the most important communication skill of all is the ability to listen. Avoid letting your thoughts wander: Focus on what the other person is saying. Not sure what they mean? Say, “Let me make sure I have this right. Are you saying ...?”

2. Keep your promises: If you’ve been pushing your staff to raise their level of customer service, don’t contradict yourself by being rude to an employee. It’s the old “walk the walk, and talk the talk.” Lead by example and be sure to keep your promises. A golden mantra: Follow through.

3. Say it like it is: We’re not saying you have to get down and dirty, but too much sugar-coating often obscures the truth. Be honest and tell your employees when there are some kinks that need to be worked out in the organization. If you made a mistake, admit it. If the company made a wrong turn, be honest and discuss how you’re planning to get back on track.

4. Don’t react ... respond: Everyone has buttons that, when pushed, evoke a knee-jerk reaction. But reacting isn’t responding. Be mindful of situations and give them thought before taking action. Know your buttons and train yourself to respond rather than react when they’re pushed.

5. Make it personal: When was the last time you had a one-on-one conversation with some of your staff members? Create time in your schedule each week to meet individually with some employees – and not just key staffers. Your involvement and interest in each employee will boost workplace morale.

6. Give specifics: Managers give feedback throughout the day, often without even realizing it. But how specific are you being? The more you can fine-tune the feedback, the clearer the picture for the employee. Think about it: Is it more helpful if someone tells you, “You need to give better customer service” or if he or she says, “Make a point of smiling and making eye contact with our customers, instead of typing on your computer while talking to them”? If your feedback contains specific action steps, your employees will understand exactly what you want them to do.

DIGGER DEEPER
Most problems in the workplace are caused by poor communication. Even the most talented staff will falter if it doesn’t communicate well. How do  you improve it? Read the Executive Report: Communication Skills for Managers

Succession planning: You can't afford NOT to do it

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Succession Planning – How Small to Mid-sized Businesses Can Do It, Too.

Succession planning had always been something big companies did to prepare for when the CEO left.

Not any more.

Due mostly to a mobile and rapidly changing workforce, companies of all sizes are realizing the importance of mapping out a plan for the eventual replacement of key managers and key employees at all levels.

What can a good succession plan accomplish?

It’ll strengthen your talent pool. The process of identifying high (and low) performers and possible gaps in your employees’ skillsets gives companies an opportunity to make adjustments before they’re left in the lurch when a key team member departs.

You’ll make better use of the talent you’ve got. By definition, succession planning includes an employee development component. That means companies can allow workers to stretch their skills, increase their earning power and likely strengthen their commitment to sticking around.

No fat to tide you over

Why has succession planning become so essential?

Years ago, many companies had an extra layer of fat at the managerial level, so bosses had more time to train and coach. Employees planned on sticking around – perhaps their entire careers.

There was a greater familiarity between the rank-and-file and management, and the work being done. Managers observed employees grow and develop over the years. When positions opened, they were more familiar with which employees were ready to step in.

Today is an era of job hopping, staff consolidation and downsizing. Organizations are lean.

It’s a lot tougher for managers to give individuals much-needed personal coaching – first, they have a lot less time, and second, you never know if people will stick around long enough to make it worthwhile.

Since most compensation structures are now based on production, a lot of supervisors see themselves more and more as project managers and less and less as people managers.

The end result: Not all managers really know what their employees might be capable of achieving, they only know what they’re capable of doing right now.

DIGGING DEEPER
Every company needs to do succession planning. But where do you start? To find out, read the Executive Report: Succession Planning – How Small to Mid-sized Businesses Can Do It, Too.

3 job applicants worth taking a second look at

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Attracting Top Talent When You Can’t Spend Big Bucks

If you're a smaller organization, how do you beat out the big companies for talent?

You can flourish by focusing on what the big guys tend to overlook.

Take a harder look at three groups of job candidates that often get dismissed by other companies. And let's dispel the myths.

"Former fast-food workers are (a) disengaged and (b) 'the bottom of the barrel.'"
Consider the numbers from a recent survey: About 12% of Americans have worked at a fast-food outlet at some time in their lives. That alone should tell you that the industry is a training ground for workers, most of whom have learned how to work face-to-face with all types of customers and all types of co-workers. On top of that, fast-food workers learn procedures, multi-tasking and the importance of deadlines and schedules.

"Single mothers are too distracted to be dedicated to their jobs."
Does anyone really believe that most single mothers can afford to not be dedicated? As a group, single mothers have shown themselves to have the ability to juggle a lot of balls, solve problems that would befuddle Solomon and take on responsibilities immediately and without much preparation. If those traits don't make a good employee, what does? Certainly, few successful, modern employers would reject an applicant just because she's a woman with children. But many employers factor in "family responsibilities" - maybe even subconsciously - when selecting candidates for jobs that require a high degree of responsibility and dedication.

"Ex-military are too rigid."
While veterans certainly understand rules and the concept of chain of command, they also understand the concepts of accepting personal responsibility and adapting to changing situations. And don't forget that one of the key links in the chain of command is leadership.

You may not subscribe to any of those myths, and maybe you'd be thrilled to hire someone in one of those categories. The point is that almost everyone has ideas about what makes a perfect candidate. Successful recruiters will look more deeply than the common ideas.

DIGGING DEEPER
Not everyone wants to work at a big company. There are a lot of talented people who will do better in smaller environment. Find out how to recruit those people in the Executive Report: Attracting Top Talent When You Can’t Spend Big Bucks

 

As a leader, how transparent are you?

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Taking Leadership to the Next Level

Are you a transparent leader or nontranparent leader? Here are a list of differences, says Al Johnson, president of Inspiratude Coaching Solutions:

• Transparent leaders say what's on their minds. Nontransparent leaders say what others want to hear.
• Transparent leaders are consistent in their actions and reactions. Nontransparent leaders aren't.
• Transparent leaders are honest and admit when they need help. Nontransparent leaders attempt to cover up flaws or the need for help.
• Transparent leaders support bold claims with bold action. Nontransparent leaders say one thing and then turn around and do another.
• Transparent leaders are honest and openly communicate. Nontransparent leaders are duplicitous and withhold information that should be shared.

 Becoming a transparent leader isn't easy, and sometimes there are forces within an organization that work against transparency. But good leaders work to break down those barriers.

DIGGER DEEPER
As a leader, does your staff trust and respect you? Do you stand out from the crowd? You can. Read the Executive Report: Taking Leadership to the Next Level

This person is a new manager’s biggest challenge

Excerpted from the ManageElite training module: 9 Mistakes New Managers Make

It’s important that new managers develop their leadership style, but how they handle this one group of employees will determine their success.

So what kind of people tend to give new managers their biggest challenge?

• Dumb people?
• Average people?
• Smart people?

Smart people. They’re the biggest challenge.

Good managers know better than to spend a lot of time on dumb people. Average people are your worker bees. They may test your communication skills, but give them clear instructions and let them do their thing. It will pay off.

But new managers tend to view smart people as competitors, rather than the assets they really are.

Here’s a secret. All people are not created equal. Some are smarter and more talented than others. Some are even smarter and more talented than YOU.

The best managers have simply accepted that reality and use it to their advantage by finding ways for people with the most potential to shine the brightest.

A manager who treats each and every employee as just another cog in the wheel is guaranteed to get the performance of a cog in the wheel.

But a manager who gives good people room to develop and grow will get a lot more out of those people. No manager can know everything, so get the most out of your smart people – and you’ll both grow.

DIGGING DEEPER
One of the great leadership qualities is the ability to let others do their jobs. The manager who isn’t afraid to turn his or her best people loose will have greater success. To get help for you and your managers, check out the ManageElite training web site.

Everyone must walk the talk

Excerpted from Executive Report: Dealing with Difficult Employees – Restoring Civility in the Workplace

Everyone must walk the talk. Even CEOs can't tell off-color jokes offensive to some people. Nobody is above the law or above company policies.

It is especially important for all people in the management ranks, from first-level supervisors to senior managers, to set the example. If any manager is allowed to get away with behavior that's supposed to be against company policies, like telling dirty jokes or engaging in other bawdy behavior, it will be impossible to credibly discipline employees for the same offenses.

The tone for the right behavior in any organization is set from the top. Executives determine the culture of a company both by what they do themselves and by demonstrating what will and won't be condoned.

A policy-on-paper-only, if not adhered to, actually does more harm than good. It gives plaintiffs' attorneys a chance to argue that the company knew better because it had a good policy on paper and deliberately chose to ignore it.

That kind of situation spurs juries to tack on multi-million-dollar punitive damage awards against employers.

Misbehavior by senior executives also allows plaintiff's' attorneys to introduce the dreaded "culture expert" at a trial who is then allowed to give expert testimony on how senior executives' misbehavior sets the tone for a fraternity-type old boys' network.

Such a culture expert was instrumental in obtaining a $250 million punitive damages award against the pharmaceutical giant Novartis in a class action suit known as Velez v. Novartis, which was brought by 5,500 female employees who were employed as drug reps. The company eventually had to consider itself lucky to be able to settle the case after an appeal for $152 million.

DIGGING DEEPER
Unacceptable behavior is growing in the workplace. And more and more, people are getting away with it. To help you nip it in the bud, read the Executive Report: Dealing with Difficult Employees – Restoring Civility in the Workplace

ManageElite: Great new tool for training managers

Most managers get little to no training. Yet they need it as much or more as anyone on the staff. Biggest problem? Getting the time to train. And it’s always expensive. Here's a new product that is extraordinarily affordable (only $37 a month for unlimited use) and fits every manager's schedule.

A new product called ManageElite just launched and it’s perfect for getting managers the training they need. It’s online and the training modules are short – only 10 to 20 minutes long. And it is interactive. Plus, it’s real practical stuff and many of the modules have real-life scenarios that require the manager to make choices.

And managers can do the training right at their desks – at any time. Even on weekends when they are at home.

There are also other interactive pieces and PDF handouts in many cases.

The modules cover everything from Handling Difficult Conversations to Interviewing job applicants to doing Performance Review. Plus, there are modules on those tricky compliance issues like Sexual Harassment, Workplace Bias and Retaliation.

But one of the best points, is that it really affordable. ManageElite's charter subscription is only $37 a month, though the cost will eventually go up. But charter subscribers will lock in at $37.

Check out the site at ManageEliteTraining.com

The "Dirty Dozen" of performance reviews

Excerpted from the Executive Report – Performance Reviews: Best – and Worst Ways to Do Them

Here are the 12 biggest mistakes supervisors habitually make in performance reviews:

1. They do not adequately prepare for the review, and they do not allow enough time for the process, rushing through it.
2. They regard the review as a waste of time. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when they just go through the motions of giving all employees a "C" as a cop-out for not giving specific and pointed feedback.
3. They base the review on a score according to meaningless criteria. Does it really matter if someone scores 90% or 95% on attendance? Attendance problems can be dealt with separately through normal discipline.
4. They fear the employee's response. Many supervisors still avoid giving constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement because they fear a confrontation with the employee.
5. They lack training in how to give constructive feedback and have not sought it out on their own.
6. They are uncomfortable siting down one-on-one with employees to talk about performance and attitude.
7. They are plagued by anxiety over any possible area of disagreement with the employee being reviewed, instead of accepting it as a natural part of the process.
8. They let the review process reflect their own poor management skills.
9. They hide behind other supervisors - if other supervisors don't make a special effort on the performance evaluations of their personnel, why should they?
10. They use the performance review only to lay blame, instead of using it as an opportunity to point out the good and the bad. You want to praise good deeds so the employee will repeat them.
11. They don't want to say negative things. Everybody likes to play Santa Claus and give away raises and praises, but not everybody is comfortable sharing necessary bad news, and can do it in a way that is uplifting and points to a better future.
12. They save up some negative feedback to surprise the employee with it at performance review time since they believe they have to have something negative to say. Necessary criticism should be given out over events as they occur in real time, not "saved up" and stored for review time. The best reviews are the ones where there are no surprises on either side, the supervisor or the employee.

DIGGING DEEPER
Lawyers will tell you that if you aren’t going to do performance reviews the right way, then you’re better off not doing them at all. Find out the right way in this Executive Report – Performance Reviews: Best – and Worst Ways to Do Them

Quickest way to 'yes'

Excerpted from the Executive Report: 40 Strategies for Getting Them to Say 'Yes'

Here's a tip that seems almost too simple to believe - but it works:

Studies have shown when making a written request of someone, that person is more than twice as likely to agree if you attach a Post-it note to the paper!

Why does a Post-it have the power of a genie's lamp?

Seems people feel you've gone out of your way to do something personal for them when you include a handwritten sticky note - and that makes them more likely to say "yes."

DIGGING DEEPER
As a manager, your success depends heavily on persuading others to carry out what needs to be done. It's even easier when they believe they're the winner when things are achieved. For help, read the Executive Report: 40 Strategies for Getting Them to Say 'Yes'

14 nasty habits you should never do in the office

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Business Etiquette - 95 Dos and Don'ts for Managers and Executives.

Everyone has at least one bad habit or tic - and they can be truly embarrassing. They can be tough to control because they're often unconscious and generally the outward signs of anxiety or nervousness.

The tic itself is an attempt at self-comfort. But they can be distracting and interruptive at best, offensive and offputting at worst.

So you need to find a way to control them. Often breathing exercises, where you concentrate on taking deep, abdominal breaths, holding and then releasing them can help curb involuntary gestures. You might try that if you do any of these:

• pick your nose, ears or any other body cavity
• twirl, twist, braid or fondle your hair
• scratch - anything
• clean your teeth (even with a toothpick) or nails
• "adjust" yourself
• interrupt others when they're talking
• crowd others (leave at least 18 inches of personal space between yourself and anyone to whom you may be speaking)
• snort, belch, fart or spit (if any of these things happen inadvertently, apologize profusely),
• point
• stare
• wiggle your leg incessantly

Also  avoid:

• consuming smelly food or drink
• playing music (wear headphones if you must), or
• wearing excessive perfume or cologne.

DIGGING DEEPER
It takes more than business savvy to get ahead these days. Following the proper business etiquette will help you stand out - or at least not derail your career. For help, read the Executive Report: Business Etiquette - 95 Dos and Don'ts for Managers and Executives.

The Salary Discussion Quiz

DIGGING DEEPER
Managers dread having to talk salary with employees. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it’s also where many managers make mistakes that lead to trouble later. Here’s help. Read the  Executive Report – The Salary Talk: Eliminating the Angst of Discussing Pay with Employees

Star employee leaving? Counter-offer is a huge mistake

Excerpted from the Executive Report – The Salary Talk: Eliminating the Angst of Discussing Pay with Employees

One of the most difficult decisions a manager or supervisor may have to face is whether to extend a counter-offer to an employee who has given notice of resignation because he or she has accepted a higher-paying position elsewhere.

Counter-offers rarely work long-term. Even if you save the employee temporarily by matching or even slightly exceeding the terms of the other offer, unless other dissatisfactions are addressed, it is very probable that within a couple of years, they’ll be looking for another job again.

That’s why most HR experts discourage counter-offers. If you can’t afford to have the employee leave for now, you may have to hold your nose and give him or her what’s needed in the way of money to keep the person in the fold, but you’d better start the succession planning right then and there – so you won’t be in the same position a couple of years hence.

And before you make it just a money conversation, you’d better find out a little more about everything that led to the person’s resignation in the first place. When people decide to leave a company, it’s rarely just about money – unless you know you’re paying your people significantly below market value, in which case you have to be prepared for a high turnover rate.

DIGGING DEEPER
Managers dread having to talk salary with employees. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it’s also where many managers make mistakes that lead to trouble later. Here’s help. Read the  Executive Report – The Salary Talk: Eliminating the Angst of Discussing Pay with Employees

What their body language is saying

Excerpted from the Executive Report: 70 Ways to Hold Fewer, Shorter, But More Productive Meetings

One way to gauge the effectiveness of a meeting while it's taking place is by reading the body language of those around you. Here's what to look for:

• Open palms: Sincerity and openness.
• Leaning in toward the table: Interest, comfort.
• Leaning away from the table: Lack of interest or discomfort with what is being said.
• Nodding: For a man, this signals agreement. For a woman, it says, "I hear you; keep going." It's a woman's way of encouraging the speaker to continue.
• Crossed arms: Resistance, defensiveness.
• Gesturing with hands: Interest in the discussion.
• Hand to cheek: Thinking, evaluating.
• Clasped hands behind the back: Frustration.
• Clasped hands behind head: Superiority.
• Drumming the fingers: Restlessness.
• Holding fingers in steeple position: Forming a barrier between the individual and the rest of the group.
• Hand over mouth: Disapproval or withdrawal from the discussion.
• Tightly holding pen or pencil: Nervousness.

DIGGING DEEPER
One of the secrets of great managers is what they accomplish in meetings. Find out how to do a better job by reading the Executive Report: 70 Ways to Hold Fewer, Shorter, But More Productive Meetings

When to give negative feedback

Excerpted from the Executive Report: 47 Ways to Deliver Effective Feedback.

Negative feedback - for obvious reasons - can be tricky. If you learn of a situation and realize you have to reprimand an employee, the key is to wait until you're ready. That means: Get your emotions under control and carefully plan what you're going to say.

You don't want to wait too long from the time the event occurred. Just like positive feedback, you want the situation fresh in everyone's mind. But sometimes it's best for everyone if you wait a few hours - or even until the following day - to deliver negative feedback.

Ask yourself, "Am I able to deliver this feedback in a calm and objective manner?"

If the answer is "yes," go for it.

DIGGING DEEPER
One of the keys to being a successful manager is giving feedback to employees. For additional help, read the Executive Report: 47 Ways to Deliver Effective Feedback.

 

Interviewing job candidates: Picking up on cues

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Interviewing - Weed Out Slackers, Stupid People and Bad Fits

If interviews were just about questions and answers, we could just write down the questions and ask job candidates to respond in writing.

Of course interviews are about much more than just questions and answers. A lot of what you get from candidates lies in how they answer - their language, mannerisms and expressions, for instance. Or in what you might call the parenthetical statements they make.

Let's not make the mistake of believing we can use mannerisms as a crystal ball to tell, for instance, if a candidate is lying. We can't. Still, we can study some typical traits and what they generally reveal about a candidate. For example:

• Complaints about current job or boss.  That's a sign the candidate thinks "it's everyone else's fault," and an indicator of questionable loyalty.
• Speaking quickly before processing a question, or cutting off your question. If the answer's on-target, maybe that's fine. You might have a quick thinker in front of you. Otherwise, though, the person may be a careless worker who lacks preparation.
• Pretending to know all about your organization. Someone who studies the company beforehand is a candidate worth considering. But you'll know when the person crosses the line and professes to know more than you do. That's a danger sign of conceit.
• Criticizing, lacking respect for or poking fun at junior staff, support people or others in lesser positions. You're probably dealing with an inconsiderate bully.
• Showing poor manners. Smart candidates pick up the expected manners and culture of a prospective employer. Ignoring the manners and culture is a sign that someone's oblivious to what's appropriate and what's inappropriate.

DIGGING DEEPER
The interview is full of opportunities for misinterpretation, misunderstanding and just plain missing the mark. How can you be sure your next interviews lead to a successful hire? Read the executive report: Interviewing - Weed Out Slackers, Stupid People and Bad Fits